


an empty seat.

by yourwifesboyfriend



Category: Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 4
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourwifesboyfriend/pseuds/yourwifesboyfriend
Summary: did lest’s dialogue when u examine the dinner table at the clinic feel a little ominous to anyone else?
Relationships: Dolce/Lest (Rune Factory)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	an empty seat.

The table is set for four people.

Pico has always insisted that she doesn’t need a place to sit because she can’t even eat to enjoy any meal with them. But since it made Lest upset to think about shooing her off and because she liked to stick by Dolce’s side regardless, he bought an extra chair anyways. 

When Noel came along another new spot was added. Nights were rowdy with Dolce laughing until she snorted while Noel garbled out nonsense and Lest blew his young mind with crazy stories of the dragon god they once called their friend. Pico never failed to entertain and enjoyed making her lady blush by recounting their own days as children and how Noel “looked just like her” as he chewed on shoes and rolled around in the dirt. 

Their table was always full. That is, until the day Arthur made a breakthrough. Ventiswill was still out there somewhere and Lest could bring her back. He _had_ to bring her back. Everyone was counting on their beloved fake-prince to rescue her once and for all.

For a while four people remained at the table. Dinners were pushed until later so everyone could eat together as a family. Above all else Lest tried to prioritize his family. But soon his I’ll-be-back-later’s turned into nothing but broken promises that Dolce shamefully began to resent him for making. His days blended together until he was only returning home a few times a week to stock up on supplies and let everybody know he was still alive. Dolce and Noel did their best to take care of the farm in his absence but it could never be done as well as he did it even though she bore the same power as an Earthmate. Her talents lied elsewhere while their son was too young to handle it all on his own.

Noel grew older and started to forget what, exactly, his father looked like. One night he asked Dolce what color his eyes had been and watched in horror as she broke down into silent, pained tears. 

Nobody had much fun at dinner anymore. Pico became too afraid of saddening her lady to speak up and tell jokes. Noel hated the idea of making his mother upset again. Every single night before he went upstairs to his bedroom he would watch her sit by the window. Waiting. Praying for the man she fell so in love with to return. 

In the middle of one particularly cold winter day, the three of them realized that this is how things were going to be from now on until the end of their lives. Weeks had passed since he last left. Seasons had changed. And still his seat at the table remained empty.

It hit each member of the small family like a ton of bricks, but none fell harder than the wife of the hero himself. Standing in the clinic and staring off into the distance the same way she always did nowadays, everyone was startled when she slowly sank down to her knees and began to sob. Forever by her side, Pico crouched down as well with a solemn expression on her face because she had felt it too. The emptiness that rung out within Dolce like a shout into a lonely room. A hollow spot blooming in her aching chest as it finally reached its full force. Moments later Noel came rushing in, cursed with his mother’s sixth sense, and flung his arms around her while Nancy rubbed her hand on her back and did her best to soothe the heartbroken trio. 

Nobody wanted to have dinner anymore. It became such a dreaded part of the day that they were better off eating by themselves at the restaurant before retiring to their beds. But they went through with it anyways. They sat in a dreadful silence, souls heavy with grief, and picked at their food all while trying so hard to not look at the empty spot staring back at them. The one that had once belonged to the person who gave them all their own places to sit. Only three people are there to eat and yet,

The table is set for four people.

**Author's Note:**

> might come back and do some edits but this was mostly just a quick thing i wanted to do to try and get myself inspired to write. 
> 
> been a while since ive done angst but thinking about this idea hurt like a motherfucker and i HAD to get it out.


End file.
